May 2006

Kaleidoscope Theatre concludes its 35th season with the popular musical comedy, Damn Yankees. Directed by Sue Webb and Sandy Wilson, choreographed by Gary Buynak, the play runs May 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, and 20 at 7:30pm, with matinee performances scheduled for May 7, 14, and 21 at 2:00pm.

Middle-aged baseball fan Joe Boyd bargains with the Devil (a charming but devious Mr. Applegate) for a chance to lead his favorite team to victory in the pennant race against the New York Yankees. The price is the usual, his immortal soul - a small price to pay for beating the Yankees! Transformed into young baseball sensation Joe Hardy, he rallies the hapless Washington Senators into a winning team, only to realize the true worth of the life (and wife) he's left behind. When second thoughts plague Joe, Applegate brings in his secret weapon, a temptress named Lola. Will Joe succumb to her charms? Or will he abandon his devilish pact at the last minute?

Light, fast-paced and devilishly clever, Damn Yankees is a home-run hit whose all-American humor has charmed audiences for nearly 50 years. Rousing production numbers and popular music favorites like "Heart" and "Whatever Lola Wants" are sure to please.

Damn Yankees' cast features Jonathan Nuckols, Melanie Boso, Janet Nuckols, Brian Hinton, Mimi Nuckols, David Garcia, Charles Wilson, Chris Allen, Paul Adams, Brandy Weaver, Stephanie Yonque, John Miller,Rosemarie Anderson, John McDonald, Katelyn Routt, Ray H. Stanley, Shauna Winterbottom, Inia Jean Plumb, Robbie Flowers, Chuck Giambra, Lois Carter, Chuck DeHart, Genee Carson, Sean Armbruster and Joseph Moon.

For reservations, call 265-3226.

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President's Corner

The end of the season is coming up with our production of Damn Yankees, a delightful musical comedy which I hope you will all come to see. And plans are already set for next season, so make plans to begin again with us.

There is further excitement at the theatre as we finalize plans for our new support facility (including a new black box performance space to augment our present stage) and the fund-raising drive to get going on it. Plans for the new building are detailed on page 5. The plans will extend the lobby, with added rest room facilities, and include a black box theatre space which will expand our performance capabilities. Since we'll have two performance spaces, we have decided to name them in honor of two of our staunchest supporters, past president Elbert L. Dukate and Eleanor Watson Lewis. The two-story storage and work areas will also make our job of bringing theatre to you much easier.

Even though our season will end with Damn Yankees, the summer is also a busy time for us, with the annual Summer Camp (June 19 - 24) and the Katy Awards banquet (June 10), which officially closes our season by recognizing outstanding contributions to the theatre over the past season. Plan now to come celebrate with us - details on exact time later.

As we come to the close of another successful year, we'd like to thank all our volunteers for their invaluable work during the season, and you, our patrons, for the generous support you continue to give us.

Sandy Wilson

Over the Tavern
Audition Dates: June 12 & 13; 7:00pm at the theatre

Kaleidoscope Theatre opens its 36th season with Over the Tavern, a look into the lives of the Pazinski family in Buffalo, NY, during the 1950s.

Rudy Pazinski is a precocious 12-year-old who is starting to question family values and the Roman Catholic Church. He believes God put us on earth to "have fun," and he's trying to figure out why his family isn't having any. At first, Rudy matches wits at school over his catechism lessons with the awesome Sister Clarissa, who carries a clicker and a sturdy wooden ruler for discipline. Once Rudy comes home to the crowded family apartment over his father's tavern, it becomes clear, too, that his is not living in a "Father Knows Best" environment. Dad is a physically and psychologically wounded man who leaves work "in a bad mood," yelling at his kids and long-suffering wife. His sister Annie (16) is suffering through the confusion of sexual awakenings, older brother Eddie (15) is a rebellious teen, and Rudy has the added responsibility of looking after mentally challenged brother Georgie (13).

This is a heartwarming drama filled with telling details, with wonderful roles for kids (note ages above), a man and woman in their forties and a woman in her seventies. Come and audition!

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March was the month of Proof, Kaleidoscope's fifth production of the season. David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about the tribulations of a young woman who is a math genius tugged at the heartstrings of audiences, and provided a measure of laughter as well. Catherine must stifle her own creativity in order to take care of her mentally unbalanced father, who is also a math genius, clinging to the hope of regaining his mental powers. The set, a back porch of their home in chicago, was detailed even to the point of real grass on the lawn.

Kaleidoscope's board of directors is proud to announce its selection of plays for the 2006-07 season, which includes something for everyone. Season tickets are available now in the lobby for $70. A season ticket entitles the holder to six admissions which may be used by a single person to attend six plays, or up to six people to attend a single performance, and the price includes a savings of more than $3.00 over the regular individual door prices. Since all reservations must be paid in advance next season, season ticket holders may reserve specific seats on specific nights in advance for the entire season, if desired. Reservations for next year's productions may be made at the same number (265-3226), but the hours will change. The new hours will be announced shortly.

Our 36th season opens with Over the Tavern, a heartwarming comedy-drama about a family in 1950s Buffalo, and the problems faced by a precocious 12-year-old boy as he tries to cope with a difficult family life and the rigors of a stern Catholic education. This play will have audiences laughing and crying and contains some great roles for kids.

Our second play is guaranteed to have audiences laughing in the aisles. Incorruptible is a "dark comedy about the Dark Ages," set in a 13th century monastery and dealing with a band of monks who struggle to make ends meet when their patron saint stops performing miracles and the Pope seems to have abandoned them. The lengths to which desperate monks will go provide a laugh a minute for the whole family.

Third in the line-up is Two Rooms, a powerful drama of a wife's struggles to survive while her husband is being held hostage by terrorists in Beirut. She has turned a room in her home into a bare cell which approximates the surroundings her husband endures as she juggles the demands of the press which wants to make her case an international story and her government which wants her to keep quiet. An amazing modern adult drama.

Another comedy-drama is in store next - Home Games, which tells the story of an aging New York Yankees player who lives in the past and is taken care of by his daughter, who must put her own wants and needs on hold. A potential lover complicates the situation. This is a heartstring-tugging tale of love, with more than a lion's share of laughter - for the whole family.

The musical offering is Cabaret, the perennial favorite about a struggling writer's sojourn in pre-Nazi Berlin and his dealings with the sleazy underworld of a third-rate nightclub and its delightfully naive headliner, Sally Bowles. Great music and strong characters make this a must-see for mature audiences.

Rounding out the season is Catch Me If You Can, a comic thriller about a man whose wife has disappeared and the machinations of a dogged detective and a mysterious woman who shows up claiming to be the man's wife. A mystery with laughs that don't stop. Fun for the entire family.

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The new staging area will provide much-needed rehearsal/audition/workshop space, as well as an intimate theatre performance space. The remaining space will be for actors, storage, and construction.

Our two stage performance spaces will be named in honor of past president Elbert L. Dukate and our long-time supporter Eleanor Watson Lewis.

Fund-raising efforts for the new building have already begun. Check out the first- and second-story plans below to see what the new addition will look like.

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Our thanks and congratulations go to director Bunnie Hibbard for January's production of The Cemetery Club, which played to full houses of appreciative patrons in January as our fourth season production.

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Kaleidoscope Theatre will be offering our fourth summer theater camp for children entering 4th grade or above (2006/2007 school year) and there are only a few slots left! Camp dates are June 19-24 and camp hours are 8:30am until 2:30pm. During the camp, children will be introduced to many aspects of theater including onstage and offstage techniques. Every child will be part of a production that will be presented on Saturday at 1pm. The cost of the camp is $125 per child ($100 for each additional child in the same family), and includes a T-shirt, daily snacks and drinks, and pizza lunch on Saturday. Campers bring their own lunch Monday - Friday.

Registration deadline is June 1 and is limited to the first 48 applicants. If you are interested, call Lois Carter at 265-3509, or download an application from our website, or email ktplays@knology.net. Mail applications with payment to Kaleidoscope Theatre, P.O. Box 256, Lynn Haven , FL 32444, Attn: Camp. For additional information call 850-265-3757 (leave a message) or e-mail us at ktplays@knology.net

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There are a few openings for helpers at summer camp. Please contact Lois Carter at ktplays@knology.net or call 264-3509 to let her know if you can work during the week of June 19 - 24. Workers include teachers of theatre terms, procedures and techniques, directors of the skits and group leaders.

Group leaders need to be able to work every day from 8:00am until 2:30 Monday through Saturday.

Teachers can work as much as 5 days that week or as little as one day. Each class lasts approximately 50 minutes and is taught to four different groups of students in a day. Directors will direct their groups in the skits 2 hours per day Monday through Thursday and all day Friday and Saturday. All workers must enjoy and work well with children.

Volunteers with eligible children will receive one free tuition. It is a fun and rewarding experience for all involved.

As for student openings, there are just a few spaces left. If you have a child who is interested, contact Lois Carter at 265-3509 or by e-mail at ktplays@knology.net for an application.

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